staple in all landscapes. Rice was also a major part of any offerings to the gods in temples and on festivals, according to several lines in the poem, such as over lines 267–269. The Perumpanattrupadai mentions Vishnu and describes him as the god who is "tall, dark-skinned" and as one from whom "the four-faced god was born" (a Puranic legend about Brahma being born from Vishnu's navel). The poem also mentions a mother goddess (Parvati, Uma), whom it alludes to as "beauteous queen whose great womb bore the red god" (Murugan). In its similes, it mentions the Ganges river, the Pandavas of the Mahabharata, and the Yoga adept rishis (sages). According to Hudson, the poem is notable that it explicitly mentions three temples and alludes to one additional temple for these gods. The similes used in the poem are those found in the Vedic and Puranic mythologies of Hinduism. In the context of government structure and economic activity, the poem mentions the Kanchi king surrounding himself with counselors, as having a fair system to adjudicate disputes and deliver justice, someone who was ruthless against his enemies and robbers. He rode lotus-topped chariot. His coastal regions had lighthouses and other infrastructure to guide the ships, swan-shaped lamps were imported from the yavanas (Greek-Romans, or foreigners to Tamil region), farmers using bullocks as aid to agriculture, blacksmith using bellows made from animal skin (kollan), the production of salt and its export, pepper trade, and merchant highways guarded by soldiers. A variety of religious festivals and sports are mentioned in the poem, in which both men and women participated. The poem has at least 73 similes. See also Eighteen Greater Texts Sangam literature Notes References Bibliography Mudaliyar, Singaravelu A., Apithana Cintamani, An encyclopaedia of Tamil Literature, (1931) - Reprinted by Asian Educational Services, New Delhi (1983) Selby, Martha Ann (2011) Tamil Love Poetry: The Five Hundred Short Poems of the Aiṅkuṟunūṟu, an Early Third-Century Anthology. Columbia University Press, Sangam literature Tamil Hindu literature